In compliance with the Gregorian Calendar, we advice that DCA will be closed from COB Friday 22, December, and we will re-open Tuesday 2, January at 9:30am.

In acknowledging diversity, in all its aspects, we understand that this time of year means different things to different people; it is therefore our hope that during this time you will keep your heads on while many others tend to lose theirs.

The last Community Dinner for 2017 will be held Monday November 27 at the Chambers Crescent Theatre, Malak Shopping Centre. This month's theme coincides with the National Day of Listening. So, we encourage participants to share stories while enjoying the delicious food prepared by My Sisters' Kitchen and volunteers.

During the dinner and vociferous conversations, voice recorders will be roaming the room capturing some of the stories shared. We'll edit some of the audio, make a short clip and publish it on our Facebook page.

As discussed at the last community dinner, we encourage participants to eat as to heart desire, but there will be no take-aways. Instead we encourage everyone to decorate stickers which we will affix on take away containers that will be distributed in various camps in the neighbourhoods later in the evening.

We will also collect email addresses from participants who wish to be informed of developments in our 2018 programs and activities, who may not follow our website or Facebook page.

We would like to inform participants in our Monday nights Music Jam that the jams will be suspended on Monday 6 and 13 of November. The Jams will resume November 20, at 7:30pm as normal. We apologise for the inconvenience.

We are looking for a vehicle for our expanding programs and operations. We are appealing to companies, organisations or individuals that may be willing to donate, or sell for a moderate sum, a utility, or a dual cab or a sedan, in good and reliable working conditions.

Darwin Laptop Orchestra (DLOrk) will play at the launch of Koulla Roussos's "Lane Art Space" at the laneway between NT House and TIO Centre on Mitchell Street on Friday, 6:15 PM, 29 September 2017. The Lane Art Space is a Live Darwin project curated by Koulla Roussos, and featuring iconic works by Frank Gohier from his Red Hand print collection, and experimental video art by seven emerging local experimental video artists.

The City of Darwin is putting together a Creative Skills Register to keep artists, creative professionals, and hobbyists up to date with opportunities. City of Darwin said: "We want to increase access to creative activities, paid opportunities and professional development programs as they become available in the municipality of Darwin for artists and creatives. So we are creating a register of artists, creative professionals and hobbyists." Visit https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/creative-skills-register to sign up.

On Monday 18th September, 2017 DCA will host the MUSIC JAM at the DARWIN RSL NORTH, located in Marrara, tucked away on the corner of Amy Johnson Drive and McMillans Road. Access via Batten Road, next to the Filipino Community Centre.

During the October school holidays we will hold three free guitar lessons for young people aged between 10 and 16 in the Darwin Mall. This activity is part of DCA ‘The Makery’ project that aims to contribute to the transformation of the city into a Central Cultural District.

The Free Music School in the Mall is not funded, as aren’t most activities that are part of The Makery. Well, yes, we missed out on the Live Darwin funding; no sour grapes here, just a little bewilderment as to how an organisation with a track record on revitalising communities (see Malak), could be overlooked for attempts to invigorate the city.

Nonetheless, as always, equipped with more enthusiasm than resources, we continue to encourage people to participate in the arts and cultural development, and in the process make things better for everyone.

So, on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the October school holidays, from 11am to 11:45 we will have three introductory classes for budding guitar players. Parents and guardians can leave their young ones with us for the time, browse around, and then take them for a nice lunch somewhere in the city.

As mentioned, the Free Music School in the Mall is not funded, and thus we cannot provide refreshments to the participants, so please make sure that they have plenty of water and/or snacks if needed. What we can provide for participants is handouts and notes for further practising.

The activity in the Mall needs a busking permit from City of Darwin, and that can only be issued each morning, according to new regulations. If we miss out on a busking spot for the day, we won’t defy the order and expose participants to authorities enforcing the law, instead we will conduct the Free Music School in the Mall at The Makery, shop 6 West Lane Arcade.

Disclaimer: DCA will not be held responsible if following the lessons participants will nag their parents or guardians for a guitar of their own.

Storytelling is one of the oldest methods humans have embraced to communicate, transfer and create knowledge and culture. Different traditions employ different methods – oral, pictorial, songs, music and the written form, to mention just a few.

If you want to share a story or few come and sit around the “camp fire” at The Makery, shop 6 – Westlane Arcade, Darwin. We can digitally record the story with you, and according to your preference (e.g. audio only, video, still photographs put together in a clip).

With your consent, we can publish it widely on digital platforms, or just send it to you to remember what you said.

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DCA staff provided information to around 50 people visiting the DCA stall at the 2017 COTA Expo at the Darwin Museum. The Expo again drew a large crowd and many familiar faces waved hello as they passed the stand while others called in to chat about their particular interests.

Roy Smith visited DCA today to chat about his Media Hub project. Roy brought a Media Hub unit for DCA to trial. Its a wifi router that serves media (movies, songs, photos, documents) locally, but can (probably) also work in a mesh network setup, and provide a gateway to the Cloud.

Darwin Community Arts was represented at Artlands Dubbo 2016 by Bong Ramilo and Jim McDougall. Artlands 2016 was the Regional Arts Australia National Conference and Festival, held at Dubbo, 26-30 October 2016.

The Darwin Laptop Orchestra (DLOrk) was formed on 5 October 2016, with Dick Whittington, Danny Pattiselanno, and Bong Ramilo as first members, at Malak Studio. DLOrk is a Frontline project that was in the pipeline for a long time.

The Tagtool was featured at Katherine Regional Arts' (KRA) concert on 12 August 2016. Rolly Lovehatelove and Yunanto Getlups, artists in residence with DCA's Asia in Darwin/STREETcurrents project, used the Tagtool for their live digital art during the concert.

This dinner was sponsored by NTAHC and as a part of world refugee week. The night also [provided an opportunity for Courtney White to recieve recognition for the play 'Liverzone" from the President of NTHAC.

Donate to Darwin Community Arts

Support grassroots arts development in Darwin by donating to Darwin Community Arts (DCA). Donations over AUD$2.00 are tax deductible. We use PayPal to accept online donations. Email or call 0889457347 to arrange alternative ways of donating to DCA.

Article 27

Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.